On April 13, 2023, prominent human rights lawyer, Yu Wensheng, and his wife, Xu Yan, were taken into police custody while en route to the delegation of the European Union to China in Beijing. In October, Yu Wensheng and Xu Yan were indicted on charges of “picking quarrels” and an additional charge of “inciting subversion of state power,” and in January 2024, the couple were transferred from a detention center in Beijing to one in Jiangsu Province. Xu Yan has reportedly lost 30 lbs since being detained and the conditions of her detention in Beijing may have constituted torture and other ill-treatment. Their son, who turned 18 just before their detention, has faced a serious deterioration of his mental health over the last year, and currently suffers from depression.
take action:
- Write a letter in your own words or using the sample below as a guide to one or both government officials listed. You can also email, fax, call or Tweet them.
- Click here to let us know the actions you took on Ninth Urgent Action 19.18. It’s important to report because we share the total number with the officials we are trying to persuade and the people we are trying to help.
contact information:
Chief Li Jun
Suzhou City People’s Procuratorate,
No.388 Jiefang East Road, Gusu District, Suzhou City
Jiangsu Province, 215000, P.R. China
Chinese Embassy in the United States
His Excellency Ambassador Xie Fang
3505 International Place,
NW, Washington DC 20008
Email: [email protected]
sample letter:
Dear Chief Li,
I am writing to express my grave concern for prominent human rights lawyer, Yu Wensheng (余文生), and his wife, Xu Yan(徐艳). On April 12, 2023, the couple were taken into police custody while en route to attend a meeting with the EU’s Ambassador to China. They were detained in Beijing Shijingshan Detention Center until January 2024, after which they were transferred to Suzhou Detention Center in Jiangsu province, some 1000km away.
Yu and Xu were arrested for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble”, an overly broad crime which is widely used for targeting human rights defenders, journalists, and dissidents.
Xu Yan has reportedly lost 30 lbs since being detained. She has been subjected to verbal abuse, including being intimidated by police who threatened to arrest her son if he undertakes advocacy on her and Yu’s case. Their son, who turned 18 just before their detention, has faced a serious deterioration of his mental health over the last year, and currently suffers from depression.
I call on you to release Yu Wensheng and Xu Yan immediately and unconditionally, as they are being detained solely for peacefully exercising their human right to freedom of expression. Pending their release, I urge you to ensure they are not subjected to torture or other ill-treatment. Finally, I urge you to ensure their son and other members of their family are not subjected to harassment and threats.
Yours sincerely,
[YOUR NAME]
additional resources:
- READ THE FULL URGENT ACTION: Wordopens in a new tab or PDFopens in a new tab
- GET INSPIRED: Read about the people you have helped
- READ TIPS for writing effective letters and emails
- CONTACT US: [email protected]